Margaret is one to watch for 2014... Headteacher of King John School in Thundersley named in FTSE 100 Women to Watch list

A THUNDERSLEY headteacher has been listed as one of the most influential in the country.

Margaret Wilson, head at King John School, in Shipwrights Drive, is one of an elite group of females in the FTSE 100 Women to Watch for 2014.

Ms Wilson, who is originally from Scotland, was recently invited to the launch of the report at Canary Wharf, in London, and says this is another achievement she is very proud of.

She said: “I feel very honoured to be included in such a prestigious list.

“There are no other woman on the list from the schools sector, so it’s quite a privilege.

“I don’t recognise any of the names as most are high-flying chief executives and directors from the private sector.

“For the next year I will continue to do what I do best, which is as headteacher of King John School – and ensure it remains an outstanding school.”

The report, from the Female FTSE Board Report 2014, described Ms Wilson as “an educational professional with more than 30 years experience working in and leading a wide range of schools”.

The list shows the number of women executive directors on the corporate boards of the UK’s top 100 companies.

It aims to highlight the increasing number of women working at board level in the UK.

Ms Wilson, who is also the executive principal at James Hornsby School, in Leinster Road, Laindon, is a board member at Anglia Ruskin University, in Chelmsford, and was recently voted the best headteacher in the county in the Essex Teaching Awards.

Ms Wilson was praised for her no-nonsense approach when snow hit the south of the county in 2010. She took matters into her own hands and attempted to clear the drifts herself, armed with a shovel.